The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1887-07-29

without shoes or stockings; but at least
they all had clean faces and famous APP
petites. I don't know whether the sun
was in Grace's confidence, but it really
seemed as if he knew all about it. when
his bright red face peeped over the hills
and shot a glance upward to the clear sky,
and another down to the dewy fields about
five o'clock that morning. He fairly smiled
all over when he looked in at Professor
G%irton's, until the quiet house was quite
TRANSPORTED with the glow. Not only
Mrs. Girton and Grace were there in the
kitchen, but even VIII was lending a ready
hand. :sFor it takes the hand Of a man,
or at least of a big boy, to slice bread
enough for Grace's army" said the hand
some young fellow of one-and-twenty, deft-
ly plying his knife while he talked. "Aun-
tie, leave room in that basket for a few
stray oranges. / wanted some so badly
last night that I got five dozen, and there
are one or two Of them left. It struck me
that if we tucked them away. not too snug
ly, in the moss around oar picnic ground,
the children would take kindly to the new
game. Something after the fashion of
Easter hare, you know"
"More provisions ?" said the professor,
looking in at the window. "Grace, I hope
you've asked the doctor to join your ON
panY. Those children will certainly have
dyspepsia if they eat half the good things
l see in those baskets. You surely don't
want to be handed down in the village an
nails as the New York girl who made all
children invalids during the course of her
six weeks stay in the wilderness 2"
"They don't call it the wilderness, q said
Grace, laughing.
Will joined in the laugh. mo, indeed.
A woman remarked to me only yesterday,
in a doubtful tone, that perhaps New York
might be bigger; she'd heard tell as how it
was ever bigger'n P~eekskill, but for her
part she thought folks that wasn't satisfied
with this village wouldn't never be salts
fed with nothing, specially since we'd got
a new town pump, and Abe Hackett had
put such an extra choice lot ofnotions into
his new store.''
s'The candy came from Hackett's. 1
only hope it may prove only as bad as it
looks" said Grace, cycling it with evident
concern. "'Genuine Paris bong-bongs, at
eighteen cents a pound, - she added, with
such a perfect imitation of Hackett's toni
that everybody laughed, though Will de-
clared that, in his opinion, that candy was
no laughing matter.
Ten o'clock was the hour chosen for
starting, but by half-past nine every child
was waiting on Mrs. Girton's lawn, Grace,
in a pretty blue Bingham gown, was flying
here and there among them, and her four
knights, as VIII %laughingly dubbed him
self and his companions, were slowing
pals and baskets in the cart, and answer
ing a ceaseless round of questions from the
eager little crowd.
"March9 OF course you may, and sing
too. What do you want to sing?"
Somebody suggested "Shoo-Fly," and
somebody else voted for "Bar-berry AL
LAM" but the choice of the majority fell
upon "Onward, Christian Soldiers, which
almost everybody professed to know. 1t
turned oft that they held various ideas as
to time and tune, but as they all sang with
right good will, that mattered little. Then
Grace and her mother sang songs in which
the children came in on a stirring chorus,
and time passed so quickly that there was
a general cry Of surprise when the picnic
ready to be ~unloaded, and Grace and two
of her '~'knights" took the work in hand,
while the other two lads and Mrs. Merton
started round games among the children.
They played ~hide-and-seek, and there we
go round the mulberry bush;' and it turn
ed out that the doctors little daughter had
brought half a dozen bean bags, which
furnished fun for twice as many children.
Four or five little girls wandered ont of
sight for a while, and then one of the party
came back and held a whispered consul
tation with Mrs. Merton. 1t ended in her
going back with the child, and then Mr..
Douglass vas called and let into the Sc
cret. The end of it all was, that when
Grace m~arshalled her forces and took her
place at the head of the table-or rather.
the table cloth four little girls came for
ward carrying a wreath of wild flowers,
which VIII took and placed upon his sis
ter's head. 1t proved a size too large, and
came down over her shoulders, but Mrs.
Merton soon remedied the trouble by
| loosened the ends of the wreath and twin
ing it, in a long spray, from Grace's
shoulder crossing to her waist.
After all, the professor was right; there
was more than even that hungry crowd
could eat; and when each little girl had at
last declined another piece of cake, VIII
Douglass stood up and made a funny
speech, drinking Miss Grace's health in a
glass of iced milk, amid much laughter
and clapping of hands on the part Of the
children.
Then Mamie and Saides, who knew
what Miss Douglass could do in the way
of a story, begged for one, and Grace was
led away to the foot of a large oak tree,
around which all the children gathered to
listen. Mrs. Merton and the 'knights"
meanwhile cleared away the remains of
tho f,aS+ and made n littlr marcel for each